The Chase
by UMdancer98
Summary: An old nemesis, with a new friend, wants Batman's attention and grabs a valuable hostage to gain it.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This takes place approximately two weeks after "The Final Flight" but I don't think you have to read that one first. You should, though. ;)

The description of my original character might be unbelievable. However, I looked it up and there are at least ten real people who are as tall or taller then my guy. :) They probably aren't as strong as he is, though.

As usual, Batman and Robin are based off the 1960s TV show but go back and forth between genres and are sometimes completely out of any characterization. I write it the way it enters my head, which is not always "historically" accurate. Italics usually represent thoughts to oneself but are sometimes used to add emphasis. I _love_ reviews and constructive criticism is always welcome. Thanks for reading! :)

 **Chapter 1:**

Bruce Wayne knocked softly on the bedroom door of his youthful ward, Dick Grayson.

"Yeah, come in," a tired voice called from inside.

Bruce opened the door and walked over to the bed where Dick was sprawled out under the covers. "Hey old chum, how are you feeling?"

"Bored, tired, annoyed," fifteen-year-old Dick sighed. "I've really been working my abs out, though," he grunted as he sat up without using his arms, both of which were encased in plaster.

"Easy now," Bruce said gently as he reached over to help him straighten up. He sat down on the bed and poked at Dick's forehead, pleased that the bump had almost disappeared completely.

"Ow!" Dick cried and Bruce pulled back in surprise. "Just kidding," he grinned. "My head's fine and so are my ribs. When can I get these," he raised his arms in the air, "off?"

Bruce chuckled, "Pretty soon. Turn your head so I can check your stitches."

Dick did as he was told. "Why is it taking sooooo long to heal?" he asked dramatically.

"Hey, it's not my fault you chose to dismount in such an unusual fashion," Bruce stated with a smile. "You're right, your head is fine. The outside anyway; I don't think I'll ever figure out the status of the inside."

Dick rolled his eyes. "Yeah, good one Bruce. Did you talk to Commissioner Gordon?"

"I did," Bruce said. There was a long pause.

"Well, what did he say?!" Dick exclaimed in exasperation. "Wait! First, what did you say? Did you tell him that I told you? Did you get mad at him? Is he upset with me? Did…"

"Slow down, let me talk," Bruce replied, raising a hand to stop the questions. "I asked him if he knew how Bruce Wayne was doing. 'I talked to him yesterday and he sounds fine' was his answer. Then I just jumped right in and asked him why he thought Robin was incapable of taking care of things when Batman is gone. He looked shocked and asked what…"

"Were you yelling at him?" Dick interrupted anxiously. "I don't want him to be mad at me for telling you although he probably already is now that he knows you know and I'm the only one who could have told you because Chief O'Hara wouldn't have a reason to and he was the only other one in the room." He paused to take a breath.

"Relax, Dick," Bruce responded with a laugh. "I wasn't yelling, at that point anyway."

"Did you just say 'at that point'? What other reason would you have to yell at him?" Dick questioned.

"I didn't say I yelled at _him_ ," Bruce said, his face darkening. "One of his junior officers barged in and, apparently, didn't notice me standing directly in front of the commissioner's desk. He walked right past me and shoved a paper in Commissioner Gordon's face and said he was quitting."

"Okay, yeah, I can totally see how that would be something to start yelling about," Dick shook his head with a smirk.

Bruce didn't even crack a smile. "I'm not done," he stated and Dick was startled at the anger in his tone.

"I'm not upset with you," Bruce sighed in frustration. "It's what happened next that irritated me." There was another long pause; he didn't want to continue.

Dick cleared his throat and stared directly into Bruce's eyes. "What happened next?" he asked although he thought he knew what might be coming.

Staring right back at him, Bruce growled, "The _officer_ stated that he couldn't be part of a force that let a boy do its work. He also said…" Bruce really wanted to end the conversation now but knew Dick, and especially Robin, wouldn't let him.

"He said…" Dick repeated. "Come on, just spit it out." He sighed and dropped his eyes to the blankets.

Bruce ran a hand down his face in an attempt to calm himself. "He said that Chief O'Hara was right to ask why Batman would leave Gotham 'unprotected'. _Batman_ was the city's protector, not Robin." He stopped, a little confused, when Dick looked up with a grin.

"Did you ask him why, then, was it _Robin_ who brought Bruce Wayne back to the police station, safe and sound?"

Bruce smiled and said, "No. I yelled at him."

Dick rolled his eyes. "Of course you did. Did you also think this would upset me?"

Bruce frowned. "Well…yes."

"Please, Bruce, I'm not five. People say stuff like that about me all the time. I'm too small, not strong enough, just a boy, just a sidekick, whatever. I've heard it all before and I'll hear it more in the future. I'm okay with being a sidekick and being small has its advantages."

Bruce looked at him in amazement. "Sometimes, Dick, you surprise even me. And you're not a _sidekick_ , you're my partner. Ready for dinner?"

Dick flipped the blankets off with his left leg then brought both legs in and shot them out. The momentum propelled his body off the bed and he easily landed on just his left foot. "I've been working on my leg strength, too," he laughed when he saw Bruce jump up in shock.

"Dick, if you break anything else while you are supposed to be recovering you will never see another night as Robin," Bruce declared in his most serious voice.

Forgetting that his sprained right ankle was still heavily bandaged, Dick stumbled back in surprise. "You would…you mean…I…" he stopped as his heel caught on the edge of the rug and he started to fall onto his back. Bruce ran over to catch him but Dick had already used his momentum to flip himself into a forward roll. By the time Bruce got there Dick was sitting up with his knees bent, both casted arms on top of them and his head resting on his arms. He was breathing heavily and Bruce was worried that he had hurt himself.

"Are you okay?" Bruce asked calmly as he knelt in front of Dick.

Dick muttered some words and Bruce had to lean down to hear what he was saying.

"Don't take Robin away, please."

"Dick," Bruce whispered. There was no response so he said it louder, "Dick!"

Dick slowly raised his head.

"I'm not taking Robin away. It was a, well it was supposed to be a joke but I guess it didn't really turn out that way. I'm not taking Robin away; I just want you to be more careful, especially when you're not fully healed."

Dick smirked, "Lame joke; I totally got you! You think I would just _let you_ take Robin? We're the 'Dynamic Duo' Bruce, and I'll be your sidekick until the day I die."

Bruce smacked him playfully on the top of his head. "Of course; I should have known better. You'll be my _partner_ until the day _I_ die. I'm hungry, let's go." He stood, grabbed Dick's upper arms and pulled him up. "You're getting a little too old for this," he grumbled as he twisted around so that Dick was riding on his back.

Dick grinned, "It's good for your muscles. Just think of it as your daily workout."

"My regular workout doesn't leave me with a goose egg on the side of my head," was the retort as the cast on Dick's right arm collided with Bruce's head.

"Yeah, uh, sorry about that," Dick flinched at the slight spike of pain. Bruce walked out the door and started down the stairs.

"Master Bruce, why on earth is Master Dick riding on your back while you are stomping down the stairs?" Alfred's voice was incredulous as he looked up at them from the foyer.

"It's better than letting him slide down the banister, isn't it?" Bruce chuckled.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

"Shall I go and wake him, Master Bruce? It's almost ten and he never sleeps in this late," Alfred sounded concerned.

Bruce looked up from the paper. "It's almost ten? You're right; he never sleeps this late, even after a patrol that ends in the early morning. I'll go check on him." He left the kitchen and strolled across the hall to the stairs. Taking them two at a time, he arrived quickly at the landing and walked to the second door on the left. He knocked quietly then, when he didn't receive an answer, a little louder. Still nothing so he said, "It's just me, Bruce, and I'm coming in."

He carefully pushed the door open, dropping his arm in shock upon entering. The floor was covered in paper, he found out it was Dick's old schoolwork when he picked a piece up; the poster of The Flying Graysons was dangling on the wall, secured by only one of its four tacks; the bed was a tangle of sheets and the window was open, mud smashed all over the sill. He ran over to the window and pushed his upper body outside, straining to find any sign of a small body lying limply in the grass. He didn't see anything except the wide expanse of lawn that surrounded Wayne Manor. He looked down at the mud that was in the shape, he realized, of a shoe print. It was much too big to be Dick's shoe, and that worried him immensely. He strode over to the bed and carefully began going through the sheets one by one, searching for clues. There were only three sheets and he didn't find anything suspicious on any of them. He worked his way up from the foot of the bed, pausing when he got to a splotch of dark red just below Dick's pillow. He touched it; drying blood. He pounded his fist on the mark in anger. Of course Dick was supposed to act completely helpless as Dick but even Robin was defenseless with two casted arms and a sprained ankle that still needed support!

"Alfred," he barked, the concern manifesting itself in his voice.

"I'm right here, Master Bruce," was the quiet reply. "What happened, do you know?"

"I don't have any clues except a muddy footprint that is too large to be Dick's and a bloodstain by his pillow. His head was healing so nicely!" Bruce exclaimed angrily. "Don't take those, Alfred…"

Gathering up the sheets and pillows, Alfred stated, "I'm assuming that I will be meeting you in the Batcave so that is where I am taking them, Master Bruce." He sighed as he turned and walked out the door.

Bruce grabbed a tissue and went to the window to collect a sample of the mud. He estimated the shoe to be around a size thirty; the person who had taken Dick had a huge advantage over his small ward. Having retrieved a testable amount of the mud, he ran down the stairs and into his study, barely remembering to close the door before pushing the switch to reveal the Batpoles. He slid down his pole, bouncing off the landing cushion in order to get to the Bat-anaylzer as quickly as possible. Alfred was already there, laying the sheets out on a table in preparation for their turn on one of the many Bat-machines. Batman pressed the mud sample down on the screen and started pacing as he impatiently waited for it to be analyzed. Five minutes later he had stopped pacing and was glaring at the machine; it had not given him any results yet. The mud was starting to slide down the screen and most of it was close to falling on the floor. Frustrated, Batman swept the grime off the machine and caught the sheet that Alfred had already thrown. He went through all three top sheets and the bottom one; the only "clue" he received was that the now dark-brown stain was the blood of Dick Grayson.

"How can there be _nothing_?!" he yelled. "People don't just sneak in, grab someone and get out without leaving any traces!" He leaned against the Batmobile and crossed his arms over his chest. "He's completely defenseless, Alfred. He flinched last night when his arm hit me on the head, even though it's in a cast." His voice had lowered in volume.

Alfred came over to stand in front of him, clasping his hands behind his back. "Something will happen, Master Batman, I'm sure of it. Master Dick is usually kidnapped for ransom and I'm sure a note or phone call will be forthcoming."

"I know," Batman agreed, "but…he's completely defenseless." All sorts of horrible images started flashing through his mind; things that, even if they were done to an uninjured body, would cause pain. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he stood up and walked to the Bat-computer. It was the only thing he could think of to do: a search for known criminals with a size twenty or larger shoe.

* * *

Dick was wide awake but pretending to be unconscious when he was carried inside the warehouse. The smell of rotting fish permeated the air; they were near Gotham Harbor. Batman would easily find them; he wouldn't have to wait for long. He cringed, and then yelped, in pain as he was placed on a chair and his arms were pulled roughly behind his back. Obviously they knew he was awake now so he opened his eyes to see Joker laughing hysterically. _Great, this is just fantastic. I'm not Robin and, even if I was, I don't think I could find a way out of this with no arms. Holy helplessness! Okay Batman, the sooner the better._ He gritted his teeth as the ropes were tightened around his arms, which had been twisted up behind the chair. His fingertips were almost touching his shoulders and his still-healing arms were already throbbing.

"Aw, poor wittle Dickie-bird has an ouchie," Joker taunted as he brushed his greasy hair away from his face. "No, two, oh no, it's three ouchies. Did Brucey-wucey get mad at you?"

Dick snarled through the pain, "Bruce Wayne would never lay a finger on me and Batman will find you soon enough. We've been through this before, remember?"

Joker looked thoughtful. "Ah, yes, the time I wanted to trade you for Robin but the bird was too scared to show up and I had to go against the Bat instead. Well, that won't happen this time. I don't want to trade and Batman probably doesn't even know you are gone yet. It's still early in the morning. Wayne probably sleeps in, doesn't he? DOESN'T HE?!" Joker yelled when Dick refused to respond.

Dick just stared at him as thoughts whirled through his brain. _I have absolutely no way of getting out of this by myself. Bruce doesn't sleep in, he's probably already up, there has to be some kind of clue left in my room; they weren't exactly gentle getting me out of it._

"Specter, will you please step out here?" Joker ground out as he stared back at Dick. Then he grinned and said, "I don't know why he likes to go by a ghostly name; nobody could ever mistake him for a ghost."

Dick's eyes widened as a massive human being stepped from the shadows behind Joker. _Holy apparition!_ He was the biggest person Dick, or Robin for that matter, had ever seen. The guy's muscles had muscles and he had to be at least eight feet tall. Real fear crept into the back of Dick's mind as he realized how much trouble he was in. He wasn't even sure if _Batman_ could take this man down by himself and Batman was the best fighter Robin had ever seen.

"Go put some fear in the little boy's eyes, okay?" Joker smiled evilly and the man clomped over to Dick and picked him up, still in the chair, with one beefy hand.

Sometimes Dick really _did_ dislike being small; this was one of those times. He struggled to remain calm but was sure that everyone could see the sweat beading up on his forehead and his heart beginning to pound in his chest. The guy could crush him with _one hand_! He closed his eyes and pictured Batman, already in the Batmobile and rushing to save him. That helped a little so he opened his eyes and was startled as he began to be tossed from one huge hand to the other and back again. He clenched his jaw as various bones started grinding together. _Holy jawbreaker…._ He couldn't decide which hurt worse – his broken arms being stretched to their limit and now jostled all around or his head where his stitches had broken open, allowing the wound to bleed profusely as his head rolled around his neck uncontrollably. _Definitely…the…arms._

"Okay, okay, that's enough," Joker said, although he sounded disappointed. Specter put Dick down and retreated into the shadows. Joker stood up and walked over to Dick, who had dropped his head and was shaking from the pain. "Are you scared yet? Ew, you're all bloody!" He pushed the chair gently with his foot, tipping it onto two legs so that the blood on Dick's head began dripping onto the cement floor. "There, that should do it. Off we go, boys!" he yelled, dropping Dick's chair back onto all four legs and taking off for the only exit Dick could see.

His thoughts were a little fuzzy but Dick knew what was happening. Joker was leaving the blood for Batman; they were going to a different location. He gasped in surprise as he was suddenly swept up by the huge hand and carried away into the rising sun.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:**

Batman sat on the chair next to the Bat-computer, his elbows on the desk and his head in his hands. There was no trace of _anyone_ with a shoe size bigger than twenty two and that guy was a player on Gotham University's basketball team. The print on the windowsill was so much larger than a twenty two. He had nothing to go on – nothing at all except a smear of Dick's blood. His ward could be dead and he wouldn't even know it. His partner - the one with two broken arms, a tightly wrapped ankle and a still-healing head. The kid who had thrown himself off a trapeze to save Bruce Wayne and _Batman_ couldn't even find him. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up into Alfred's sorrowful eyes; an emotion Batman knew was reflected in his own.

"Something will happen soon; the kidnapper will make a mistake or call for a ransom. We must never give up hope Master Batman."

"I'm not giving up, Alfred, I'm just worried. He's so small and that footprint is so big. His body is still healing, he can't defend himself, he could be dying and I…HAVE…NOTHING!" The last three words were shouted in frustration, each one emphasized with the slam of a black-gloved fist on the desk. Alfred stood his ground and allowed his charge to release his fury.

"Master Batman," Alfred attempted to remain calm, "I am…" his sentence was interrupted by the ringing of the Manor's phone. He was startled but he picked it up and changed his voice. "Wayne Manor," he stated professionally.

"Tell Bruce Wayne to send Batman to the docks. Good luck finding the boy; there are a lot of warehouses," the voice, obviously disguised, giggled maniacally.

Batman, who had picked up the extension and was listening carefully, sucked in his breath as he recognized the laugh: Joker. Dick had been kidnapped by Joker. He closed his eyes to control himself as a small cry of agony was heard in the background. When he opened them, Alfred saw both the rage and the distress. The intelligent butler, too, had identified both sounds.

"He will be told," Alfred heard his voice shaking even as he fought to keep it sounding professional. The phone had already been disconnected, however, so Joker wouldn't have heard the answer.

Batman slammed the phone down, already standing and turning to the Batmobile.

"Be careful, Master Batman – it could be a trap!" Alfred called to him.

"I don't care, Alfred," Batman shouted as he climbed in, "because Joker doesn't treat his captives lightly. Dick is in pain, you heard him, and I WILL get him back!" The engine roared and the Batmobile raced down the tunnel and out the camouflaged door.

* * *

Dick moaned as the giant hand released his chair onto the grass and it tipped forward, making him land headfirst on the hard ground. Stars burst behind his eyes and he struggled to keep them open. _Bruce won't be happy; that bump is going to be back_. _Stay awake, leave a clue…._ The chair was picked up and set straight. He tried to loosen the ropes and push them away from his burning arms but all that earned him was a slap to the face.

"Wakey-wakey, little man," Joker's foul breath blew into Dick's face and he turned his head away. "Oh, shoot, your head is still bleeding." He tore off a piece of Dick's pajama pants and slapped it on the wound. "Can't have you dying on me," he giggled. "I'm about to send Batman on a wild loosey-goosey chase!"

Through hazy vision, Dick watched Joker walk into a trailer. He heard the dialing of a phone and the silly way in which Joker was attempting to disguise his voice. He was sending Batman to the docks. Did he leave some of his henchmen there? Dick's head emptied of all thought as he heard a buzzing noise. He rolled his neck, attempting to shove the telltale sign of a concussion away. It worked, but pain shot down his neck, through his shoulders and all the way up to his fingers. He cried out to release the pain and Joker looked through the window, angry at the noise. Dick saw him slam the phone down and shrunk back into the chair as Joker exited the trailer and approached him, a crazed look on his face. This was one of the few times in his young life that he really _was_ scared. Joker stopped in front of him, glaring furiously, and motioned to someone behind Dick.

A huge shadow fell over Dick and he dropped his head, the pain in his body heightening his fear. Then he lifted his head in defiance; he was _Robin_ , half of the Dynamic Duo, and he would _not_ give Joker the satisfaction of seeing his distress.

Joker's rage increased when he saw the look on his captive's face. Why wasn't the boy afraid yet? What should he do next? He contemplated all the ways in which he could allow his new friend to "play" with the kid. He began pacing, continually watching the teen who was trembling slightly, probably from the pain in his arms. The boy's eyes were going in and out of focus and Joker didn't want him unconscious. "Stay," he told Specter and ran back into the trailer. He came out with a bucket of water and threw it onto Dick, startling him into full consciousness. Then Joker crouched in front of Dick and swept the wet hair away from his eyes. "What scares you? What can we do to wipe that smug look off your face?" he whispered, staring into the boy's eyes, searching for any emotion. A small flicker of fear passed through them and he grinned. "There it is; I'm already getting to you!" He patted the side of Dick's head then tore off the portion of cloth on the wound. "Blood is dry; time to move out!" he laughed hysterically.

Dick scolded himself – he had allowed a shadow of alarm to display itself and Joker had noticed. He panicked as he felt the man behind him and used two fingers on his right hand to tear frantically at the fuzz on the edge of the cast on his left arm, dropping as much of it on the ground as possible. It wasn't a large amount but Batman would notice it. Then, as he felt himself being lifted, he allowed his eyes to close and he drifted into dark nothingness.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4:**

Batman broke several traffic laws as he raced through Gotham but he didn't care. He slammed to a stop when he got to the harbor and jumped out. Joker had been telling the truth about one thing: there were two lines of warehouses that stretched from where he was standing all the way to the other side – about a hundred yards away. If he had been able to, Robin ( _no – Dick)_ , would have left a clue. He began walking down the row, carefully taking in the sights around the doors of the buildings on each side. There it was; a little trail of blood droplets. He followed it inside, glancing around once for any signs of a trap. Nothing was out of place but there was no Dick, either. A circle of light in the center of the room drew his attention and he walked over to investigate. A small pool of blood resided in the circle and Batman became furious. Either his partner's stitches had torn open or he had been viciously attacked. "Or both," he ground out in anger. There was nothing left here; it was a diversion. He really wasn't surprised about that; Joker wouldn't hang around and wait to be caught when he had a valuable hostage. They obviously hadn't stopped the bleeding, though, because there was another trail of blood – not just droplets this time – that led him out the back door.

The mud behind the building was filled with footprints but his eyes noticed one in particular. A size thirty shoe; Joker had a new friend. The henchmen hadn't taken their time covering the tracks _or_ stopping the blood so Batman followed their obvious trail easily. He lost it for a moment in the dense growth of the forest that surrounded the docks and anxiously searched in all directions, looking for anything out of the ordinary. He sighed in relief when he found the flattened weeds off to his left and followed the carnage left by the size thirty shoe. A small trailer came into view and he paused, carefully examining his surroundings before approaching it. He was almost to the door when he noticed something on the ground. Crouching to investigate, he realized that it was the cotton padding of a cast. That was good; Dick had been conscious enough to leave a clue. A few inches away he saw a blue and white checkered cloth and recognized the pattern of his partner's pajama pants. There was a long red stain on one side. _At least they stopped the bleeding, although that doesn't help me._ He winced in sympathy as he noticed several hairs stuck to the dried blood; it had probably been torn from Dick's head and he wouldn't be surprised if the wound had started bleeding again. He walked in a small circle around the two clues but found no further evidence. The trail led back into the forest and he started to follow. Then he heard the phone in the trailer begin to ring. He debated for a few seconds and then dashed to the door, pulled it open and grabbed the phone.

"What do you want," he demanded, hoping that Joker was on the other end. A high-pitched laugh followed this statement and Batman waited impatiently for it to subside. "Where is Dick Grayson? If he is injured I will personally see to it that you are…"

"Oh, stop Bats; you know you love the thrill of the chase. Little Dickie-bird was injured before I picked him up – he probably made Bruce Wayne mad and got tossed around. Who knows...? Anyway, I don't want anything except your attention. The more I move, the more you will follow. Is that annoying Boy Blunder with you? If I see him _at all_ there will be swift consequences for my young hostage," Joker cackled.

"I'm not interested in your games, Joker," Batman growled. "Leave the boy somewhere safe and I will still follow you wherever you go. You don't need a hostage to get my attention. And Robin will not be available for this chase."

"I'm sure you found some evidence about my new pal; his name is Specter," Joker continued as if Batman hadn't spoken. "He's got my captive a little worried, although he's doing his best to appear unaffected. I _have_ seen _some_ fear in his eyes, though, so he's not as brave as he is attempting to look. He might be difficult to break, if it comes to that," Joker's voice lowered dangerously as he spit out the last sentence. "But, maybe not; he _is_ just a bratty little rich kid, after all," he giggled.

Batman tightened his fist around the phone. Dick was the bravest, strongest kid he knew, besides Robin, and if he was afraid then there was real trouble. Not the usual "Joker trouble" – both Dick and Robin could handle that. His partner usually struggled to contain his emotions so Batman was impressed when Joker implied that Dick seemed to be remaining relatively calm. "I want proof of life, Joker," Batman ordered, "and I know the boy's voice."

There was a short silence and then some heavy breathing. "Bat…man?" Dick's voice was shaky; his tone full of agony. Batman clenched his jaw but kept his voice calm.

"Hey kiddo, how are you holding up?" he asked gently.

"Arms…hurt," came the whispered reply. Then, a little stronger but still quiet, "Lake, uh, south cabin edge…" Batman winced as he heard the smack of flesh on flesh.

"That's enough for now. What was he whispering about? My friend has his hand ready to crush the boy's windpipe if you don't tell me in three seconds," Joker announced angrily. "One…"

"Stop!" Batman commanded. "He simply told me how he was feeling. He's in a lot of pain, just let him go. I _will_ find you."

Joker's maniacal laugh resonated through the phone. "I'm aware that he's in pain. Do you want me to describe his condition for you? He has a cast on each arm, you probably already know that, so we simply twisted them up behind his back to help them heal faster."

Batman could see the image in front of him and growled, "Let. Him. Go."

"But wait, I'm not done!" Joker exclaimed. "His head was bleeding pretty badly so I stopped it but the darn thing opened again when I took off the cloth. He's got a nice, bright red line running down his cheek and soaking into his clothes. But wait, there's still more! His ankle looked fully healed so we removed the bandage for him and he's already standing on it easily. The chair isn't very heavy so we left him secured to it, you know, to help his muscles regain their flexibility," Joker was laughing again. "You know, I…" his sentence trailed off as he heard a dial tone. Looking over at Dick he shrugged and said, "I guess he was done listening. Now, let's do what I just told him we had already done."

* * *

Dick woke up to the sound of Joker's voice and the feel of Specter's beefy hand shaking his head around. He looked around groggily and recognized something out the window he was facing. He was startled when Joker suddenly appeared beside him.

"A Bat wants to talk to you," Joker snarled. He held the phone up to Dick's ear.

"Bat…man?" Dick tried to erase the pain from his voice but knew that Batman would hear it anyway.

Batman's voice sounded far away, "Hey kiddo, how are you holding up?"

It took all of his strength to answer while he attempted to push the cotton out of his mind. "Arms…hurt," he whispered then tried to use a stronger tone in order to pass along the small amount of information he had. His sentence sounded weird, "Lake, uh, south cabin edge…" and he doubted that he had helped Batman at all.

"That's enough," Joker declared and yanked the phone away, nodding to Specter who smacked Dick across the face then grabbed him by the throat and lifted him in the air.

Dick frantically tried to breathe as he heard Joker start counting for some reason that he didn't understand. He heard Batman's growl but couldn't make out the words. He gasped for air when his windpipe was released and he was returned to the log floor of the cabin Joker had chosen for his hideout. Joker sat down in a chair across from Dick and grinned as he began describing his condition to Batman. Fog was whirling around in Dick's brain but he tried to pay attention. _Ankle chair stand?_ He was confused and the pain was sapping his energy. He slumped down but cried out in agony as that put more pressure on his arms.

Joker looked at him and shrugged, "I guess he was done listening. Now, let's do what I just told him we had already done."

 _Told do what him?_ He found out as Specter roughly ripped off the bandage around his right ankle. A huge hand wrapped itself around the chair and forced Dick to stand with his weight on both legs. It felt like a nail was being shoved through his ankle and he couldn't hold back a small cry of pain. _Batman is coming, Batman is coming…_ He started chanting in his head, trying to push the throbbing of his limbs to the back of his mind. But then he remembered that his clue had been useless and dropped his head in defeat, tears beginning to fall from his eyes as he gave in to the pain coursing through his body and let the fog envelop his mind. His body became limp and Specter, startled, almost dropped him.

Joker pouted when he realized his fun was over. At least he had the boy crying, even though it was in pain, not fear as he had hoped. _Oh, well, better luck later, perhaps_.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Holy fireworks! ;) Thanks for the reviews Dynamic Duo Fan and Phone Guy!

 **Chapter 5:**

Batman instantly identified the rambling clue: there was an old cabin on the south side of Edge Lake. Dick must have recognized the area, even though he had only whizzed by it once while chasing down a villain in the Bat-boat. He was amazed at his partner's ability to remember something so insignificant while in so much pain. He knew from Joker's description that Dick's already injured body would be hurting immensely. Joker was crazy and violent – he knew that from experience – but what kind of sick, demented person would take a kid's _broken_ arms and rotate them _up_ while they were behind his back? Dick's shoulders were flexible enough to allow that position but Batman knew the stabbing pain that his partner would be feeling in his forearms. How long had he been like that? And if he was standing on that ankle, with no support and the weight of a chair added to his own body weight…. Batman dismissed the image from his mind as he sprinted away from the trailer, through the forest and past the warehouse buildings on his way to the Batmobile. Edge Lake was an hour from Gotham Harbor by car but it would take even longer to go back to the Batcave to get the Bat-boat or Bat-jet. He picked up the Batphone on the dash and waited impatiently for Commissioner Gordon to answer.

"Yes, Batman?" the commissioner sounded surprised.

"Dick Grayson has been kidnapped and I have no time to explain anything. I'm going west through the city from the harbor and I'll be taking Gotham Boulevard. CLEAR THE ROAD!" Batman commanded then hung up the phone and turned the Batmobile around.

Commissioner Gordon replaced the phone in disbelief. Bruce Wayne two weeks ago and now Dick Grayson? _The disadvantages of being a billionaire…._ He shook himself out of his stupor and yelled at Chief O'Hara to take as many officers as possible and clear Gotham Boulevard immediately.

* * *

Pain, there was nothing but pain. The pain to which he had abandoned himself was the same pain that brought him back to consciousness. Dick opened his eyes, slowly, and found himself lying on his side on the floor. His arms were in the same position they had been in for what seemed like days but the chair was gone. Clenching his jaw and biting his tongue, he rolled onto his back and used his recently strengthened abs to sit up. He wanted to lay back down and sleep but knew that this might be his only chance to try to escape on his own. His vision was foggy and there were still cotton balls littered throughout his brain. He tried shaking his head to clear everything out but his reward for that was more pain shooting through his already tortured arms.

He looked around the sparse room and had no ideas about how to get up off the floor. There was no furniture or even shelving. There were four walls, a small window and a closed door. He gritted his teeth, pushed himself up to his knees and started shuffling toward the wall with the window. He reached it after what seemed like an hour and leaned against it to catch his breath. He was _ROBIN_ , he could do this. Narrowing his eyes, he looked up at the window; he was small enough to fit through, he just had to figure out how to get up there. Grateful for the extra strengthening he had been doing, he planted his left leg and pushed himself up, using the wall for support. The room whirled around him and his leg buckled. He closed his eyes to stop the room and forced his leg to remain straight. Opening his eyes, he glanced up and was dismayed to see the edge of the window at his forehead. _Holy jail break, there's no way I can get up there without using my arms!_ He attempted a small jump and immediately decided not to do that anymore. The movement caused some sweat to slide into the cut on the side of his head and he felt the sting of salt on an open wound. _At least it stopped bleeding._

He heard voices and started to panic. There was nowhere to hide and no way to get out before the voices got to the door. He anxiously watched the doorknob turn and, quickly regaining his senses, bent his leg far enough to allow himself to drop quietly to the floor in what he hoped was a believable "he's still unconscious" position, his eyes closing just as the door swung open.

"Oh, come _on_ , still?" Joker whined.

Dick almost shuddered as he heard Joker's angry tone. He listened as the footsteps approached him but wasn't prepared for the kick to the ribs. This new pain didn't affect him, though, because now he was irritated. _Kidnapping, arm-twisting, attempted ankle breaking, trying to scare me by having your new 'friend' manhandle me, taunting Batman and now kicking me while I'm down and out?!_ The growing list of Joker's misdeeds slid through his mind as anger built up inside him. He wanted to jump up and start laying into Joker but he was Dick, not Robin. Also, not even Robin could throw a punch right now if his life depended on it, which it might in the near future. Instead, his eyes flew open and he sat up as fast as he could; fast enough to catch the crouching Joker by surprise and cause their foreheads to collide. Joker was pushed back and fell down. He snarled as he stood up and glared at Dick, wiping a bit of his own blood off his forehead.

"Specter, get in here," he demanded. Immediately Specter's gigantic body filled the room. "The kid just made my head bleed. Make him bleed somewhere, too." Then he sat down on the floor to watch.

Dick couldn't stop the fear from showing on his face this time as Specter loomed over him. There was nothing he could do to defend himself. He couldn't even drop his head to shield his face because the huge hand that was crushing his chin was forcibly holding his head still while the other hand pulled back and closed into a giant fist. He wanted to shut his eyes but also wanted to be ready for whatever pain was about to be inflicted upon him. If he could see where the hit was going, he could prepare that part of his body to accept the damage. He stared into the eyes of his attacker; they were dark, dangerous and unemotional.

Joker waited impatiently, trying to see around the bulky physique of his newest henchman. He got a glimpse of Dick's face and started laughing hysterically. He had done it; the kid was scared out of his mind! The sound distracted Specter and he turned toward Joker, a questioning look on his face. Joker motioned him aside with a wave of his hand, stood up and bounced up and down like a child while making his way over to Dick.

"You're sca-ared, you're sca-ared," he chanted, sneering down at his little captive.

"Yes," Dick admitted, "I _was_ but I'm not anymore." The fear had been replaced with a look of disgust. "Even _you_ would be afraid if he wasn't on your side; look at him! He's the biggest man I've ever seen in my entire life! You, on the other hand, are just a regular old villain who has to have henchmen do all his dirty work."

Dick wasn't sure why he had said that last sentence. Joker was going to be infuriated and Dick had a passing thought that he might not live to see if Batman would arrive to rescue him. He continued anyway, "You are going to be in so much trouble when Batman finds you. He'll take care of that guy," he tilted his head toward Specter, "while you scurry away like a little rat. Then he'll come after you and you won't have a human wrecking ball to hide behind." _Holy time bomb, why am I trying to set him off?_ He shut his mouth and glared daggers at Joker.

Joker's mouth had dropped open in disbelief. _He's right; I would be scared of my big friend._ Suddenly, the surprise was replaced with a huge grin and his eyes opened wide in silent laughter. "Batman won't find me Dickie-bird. I made sure to locate a place that he had never been to before. I did a _lot_ of research; it was hard," he whined and put a hand to his head as if it ached. He dropped his hand and crouched in front of Dick. "So, I'm just a 'regular old villain' to you? Tell me, have you ever been kidnapped by anyone else?"

"Of course I have!" Dick exclaimed, actually surprised that Joker had asked such a ridiculous question. "Let's see, Riddler, Catwoman, you, Penguin, um, Mr. Freeze, you again, Riddler again and a few others."

Joker glowered at him and demanded, "Which one was your favorite?"

"My favorite _kidnapper_!" Dick shouted incredulously then shook his head, grimacing in pain as his entire upper body protested at the movement. He actually thought about it and then said, "Well, Riddler, by far, because he entertained me with riddles that he thought were difficult to figure out. Everyone else was unoriginal and boring." Dick didn't know where this was going but at least Specter was out of the picture for now.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: I know there are several different ways to stop hyperventilating but I don't know if the one I use in here is actually real. So, just go with it and assume it works. :) Thanks!

 **Chapter 6:**

Batman slowed down as Edge Lake came into view. He wanted to keep the advantage of surprise for as long as possible so he directed the Batmobile behind a clump of trees and climbed out to continue on foot. He jogged through the forest, pausing often to examine his surroundings. The sun was about to drop below the horizon as he dashed up a hill, going to higher ground in order to find the old cabin. A large, slightly crumbling silhouette caught his eye and he headed that way, hoping that he was correct in his assumption.

"Hang on Dick, hold out a little bit longer, I'm almost there, please be alive," his quiet words were swept away by the wind.

He reached the edge of a clearing and saw a cabin situated in the middle. Lights were flickering through the windows and several men were wandering around outside; this had to be it. He silently walked around the entire clearing, staying in the trees and counting the men. Only four on the outside – he could easily dispatch them quietly. He started to slink out to take care of goon number one when he heard the distinctive voice of his ward and partner. He was _goading_ Joker! _What is he thinking?!_ He heard sentence after sentence of disparaging tones and content. _Shut your mouth, Dick. Let it go so you don't get any more injured than you already are. Stop!_ His forehead creased in concern and frustration as Dick continued his jabs at Joker's pride.

* * *

"Unoriginal and boring?" screamed Joker. "You want to be entertained, fine. I'll give you a show you won't forget; actually this will amuse me more than you."

Dick knew what was coming but at least it would be from Joker and not the powerful and scary hulk of a man who was now sitting in the opposite corner looking bored. He could handle a Joker beating, although he wouldn't be able to hold out as long as he normally would because of the throbbing pain coursing throughout his entire body. Thinking of and tossing out the insults had taken away most of his energy; he was already on the verge of collapsing. Taking a deep breath, he gave Joker his best imitation of the Bat-glare and declared defiantly, "Let me stand up to make it more interesting." _You are Dick Grayson; stop talking like Robin!_

Joker watched, amused as the boy struggled to push himself up with _one_ _leg_! His expression changed to amazement when the kid made it all the way up. "Ha, you can't fight me standing on one leg with your hands tied behind your back. Do you want some help with that? Specter, get over here, untie his arms and help him stand on both legs!"

Dick, who had spent the last of his energy forcing himself up, dropped his head and closed his eyes. This wasn't what he had hoped would happen; Specter was supposed to be out of the equation. "Too afraid to come do it yourself?" he mumbled as he fought to open his eyes and remain awake.

Joker screamed in frustration then began cackling. "You idiot boy, you must really want a beating. Is that what you are used to, from your _guardian_ Bruce Wayne? You're probably in trouble a lot if you run your mouth as much as you are right now. Never mind Specter; I'll take care of it." The man, who had just stood up, grumbled as he plopped back down onto the floor.

That did it; Dick was furious at the accusation. His eyes flew open as adrenaline rushed in and he shouted, "Bruce Wayne would _NEVER_ hit me or do anything else of that nature! You're an idiotic villain who can't even get away from Robin, much less Batman! I've seen the news; you are _always_ caught and when you break out you are caught again!" His rage diminished and he slumped against the wall, cringing at the pain that manifested itself like a barrage of sharp spikes being driven into his arms and shoulders.

Joker raced across the room and hit Dick in the face hard enough to throw him to the ground. "Don't talk about the Boy Blunder; he is a useless sidekick who has stolen Batman's attention away from me!" He stood over the boy who was now unconscious on the ground, blood trickling from his head again. "Oh, shoot, I did it too fast." He frowned, annoyed at the brevity of the "fight".

* * *

Batman was quietly taking care of one henchman at a time while listening to the conversation between Dick and Joker. He crept toward the open window from which the noise was emanating and carefully peered into the room. Dick was standing on his left leg but using the wall for support and struggling to stay awake. _Who is this 'Specter' and why does Dick fear him?_ He suddenly understood when he saw a huge man begin to stand up in the far corner of the room. So this was the guy with the size thirty shoe. He would be slow; Robin _might_ have been able to take him down alone if he was at full strength. But this was Dick, not Robin, and he looked ready to collapse. Batman's vision turned red with fury when he saw the state of his partner's arms. The casts were falling apart and his fingers were actually _touching_ his shoulders! How was he still standing; the pain must be excruciating?! However, Robin, and by extension Dick, had a high pain tolerance and was almost always able to push the ache of an injury to the back of his mind when in the middle of a battle. This was certainly a battle and obviously more than just a physical one.

Batman was startled at the rage in Dick's voice as he scorned the accusation against Bruce Wayne. _No, not Robin; keep him out of the conversation_. It was too late, though, and now Batman knew why Joker hated Robin so much. Batman sighed internally; he might have to send Robin on other missions – maybe even ground him – whenever he had to chase after Joker. Suddenly Dick was on the ground, knocked out and not moving, and Joker was striding angrily out the door.

"Stay here and knock him out again if he wakes up," Joker threw over his shoulder then waited for a grunt of acknowledgment from Specter before stomping out.

Batman was torn: go after Joker and assume Dick wouldn't wake up for a while or just grab Dick and run? The huge size thirty wouldn't be able to keep up with him, especially since the load he would be carrying would be so light. His decision was made for him as the front door swung open and Joker stormed out with a face full of rage.

"Boring and unoriginal; can't get away from _Robin_ ; idiotic villain," Joker seethed as Dick's insults continued to bounce around in his brain. "Pain, he needs more pain, he needs to be afraid of _ME_ , not just my new goon." An idea popped into his head and he turned back toward the cabin. Instead of seeing the cabin, however, he saw the pointed cowl of Batman and a black fist swinging toward his head. He ducked, but Batman had his other hand ready and Joker dropped to the ground, unconscious, when it connected with the base of his skull.

Batman pulled out his Bat-cuffs and secured Joker. "You _will_ pay for this," he whispered menacingly as he tore off a piece of Bat-tape and placed it across Joker's mouth, ensuring that he would still have the advantage of surprise.

Batman didn't have a plan to get Dick safely away from the size thirty but he also didn't have time to think of one. He strode silently into the main room of the cabin, quickly evaluating the situation. He was surprised that there were no other henchmen but he realized that Joker probably didn't feel the need to employ more than the five he had; four of which Batman had subtracted from the equation. But the one watching over Dick was equivalent to at least five or six. He listened carefully as he made his way across the floor to the room in which his partner was being held. He heard…snoring? Loud, pig-like snores that couldn't possibly belong to Dick since he was unconscious. A slight grin appeared and then disappeared as he stepped soundlessly into the room. The size thirty was slumped in a corner; fast asleep and on the opposite side of the room from Dick. Batman ran over to Dick and knelt down beside him. He noticed the slightly awkward position of the right ankle but couldn't do anything about that right now. Dick was on his side, completely unconscious, but his breathing was strong and the blood was no longer dripping from his head. _I can't carry him like this; I have to get his arms in front of him so I can support them._

"Sorry, Dick," Batman whispered as he rolled him onto his stomach. He grabbed his Bat-knife and quickly cut away the ropes that were wrapped tightly around Dick's arms. He gently tried to untwist the arms but they were frozen and immobile. "I'm _really_ sorry, kiddo," he whispered again as he forced Dick's arms apart and laid them on the ground.

* * *

There was the pain again, the kind that wouldn't allow him to remain unconscious. Dick heard some whispered sounds but couldn't match them to any words he knew. Wait…kiddo. Batman was here? He groaned as his arms were forcibly rotated away from his shoulders and then laid gently on the ground. Bright colors swirled around in his mind and he felt a new kind of pain that took his breath away. He gasped for air but couldn't bring any into his lungs and started to panic. His arms protested when he was flipped onto his back but then he felt familiar hands rubbing his chest, opening his lungs. He coughed once then took a deep gulp of air that settled him into a steady breathing rhythm. Batman was here.

* * *

Batman noticed Dick starting to hyperventilate as he laid his arms on the ground. He quickly flipped his partner onto his back and vigorously rubbed his lungs, relieved when Dick's breathing became even. He was so focused on his ward that he didn't realize Specter, who had awakened when Dick coughed, was standing over him. He was roughly pulled up by his cape and tossed into the wall across the room. His back slammed into the uneven logs and he dropped to his hands and knees, spots dancing across his vision. He heard the pounding of a size thirty shoe marching steadily towards him and shook his head to clear his sight. He started to stand but hadn't calculated the number of strides it would take for a man this large to cross the room. A meaty hand clamped down on his head and spun him around, sending him sliding across the floor on his stomach and almost causing him to crash into Dick. His brain continued spinning as he raised his head and saw Dick's eyes open and wide with fear.

"S'kay, Click," his voice sounded strange and he tasted blood on his tongue.

Batman saw Dick's mouth moving and caught the word 'right' so he used what was left of his reflexes to move to his right, his body coming to a stop by Dick's knees. A huge fist landed on the ground where his head had been and his eyes widened. They were in trouble.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Thanks for the reviews Phone Guy, Batman dude and InvisibleMortal! :)

 **Chapter 7:**

Dick opened his eyes when he heard something slam into the wall across the room. He let his head fall to the side and saw Batman on his hands and knees with Specter quickly approaching. He blinked and his partner was unexpectedly beside him, his head inches from Dick's ribs.

"S'kay, Click," Batman muttered as Dick watched Specter's hand preparing to fall on Batman's head.

Dick was trembling in pain and fear but he managed to whisper, "Roll right." He was relieved when the giant fist landed on the ground between them.

Specter kept his left hand on the ground and let out a growl. He raised his right fist, fully expecting to finish the one-sided battle with the man dressed like a bat. Both the boy and the bat were against the wall; there was no avenue for escape.

A hollow laugh echoed in Dick's head and a grain of an idea divided the cotton balls that were still floating around in his brain. He was so tired, though, and the grain was losing the fight against the fluff. _Dick, Robin, ROBIN!_ He was yelling at himself but he didn't know why. He watched as Specter's other hand began its descent toward the ground; aiming at something with black ears and an important face. Instinctively, he twisted his hips and kicked his strong left leg out at the massive forearm, hitting it at an angle that forced it away from Batman's head. If Dick – well, Robin – had been at full strength the blow would have sent Specter's fist into his other elbow. This kick, however, only slightly changed the direction of the punch and Specter stopped his hand before it could hit the ground.

Batman had rolled onto his back and readied his arms to prevent the blow from causing too much damage. He felt movement and was surprised when Dick's leg flashed over his head, deflecting the punch. He put all his weight on his back and thrust both legs up into size thirty's face, knocking him back but not down. Batman quickly but carefully stood up as Specter regained his balance. They began circling around the room, each searching for a weakness in his opponent.

"You're not going to win," Specter's deep voice was confident and challenging.

"I don't have to _win_ , I only have to get one good opening," Batman countered.

"You can talk?!" Dick burst out and then started laughing hysterically. Both men looked over at him, one confused and the other outraged.

"Are you saying I'm an IDIOT?" Specter yelled as he changed his focus and advanced on Dick, furious at the boy's implied insult.

Batman used the distraction to his advantage, jumping onto the bigger man's back and wrapping his arms around the massive neck. He locked his hands on his wrists and squeezed, going for the knockout. Specter was startled when he felt the extra weight on his back and was slow to react to the crushing feeling that now surrounded his throat. He began stumbling forward as he tried to flip Batman over his head. Unfortunately, forward was towards Dick and Batman wouldn't allow anything else to happen to his ward. He released his hold on size thirty's neck and bounded off his back, landing in an offensive stance. First, though, he had to move the hulking mass away from Dick.

Specter had his hands on his knees, catching his breath. Dick took the opportunity to do his ab workout; he lifted his hips off the ground and caught Specter's neck between his knees, using his abs to swing himself up and forcing the giant man to straighten. Specter's airflow was constricted but he knew where Dick was vulnerable and grabbed one of his broken arms in each hand, squeezing just hard enough to make Dick loosen his hold on the muscular neck and cry out in pain.

Batman dove towards the backs of the knees of the man hurting his ward, making them buckle and causing Specter to begin to fall backwards. The man immediately tossed Dick back over his head – freeing up his hands to catch himself. Dick landed painfully on his stomach and slid toward the door. Batman was a little too slow to move himself out of range of the falling man and received a size thirty boot to the side of the head, knocking him out. Specter had focused on his kick instead of his landing and slammed onto his back on the log floor. Dick heard him frantically trying to gulp in air and knew the wind had been knocked out of the giant body. Lifting his head as high as he could, he searched for Batman and was dismayed to see him by the wall with the window, not moving.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: The change in wording - Dick to Robin and vice versa - is intentional. I'm not confused about which character is in the story. :)

 **Chapter 8:**

Specter regained his strength first and sat up, scanning the room. Dismissing Dick with a flick of his wrist, he turned his attention to Batman. He took a moment to steady his breathing then slowly stood up and walked over to the motionless figure. _Why would a grown man dress up like this?_ He was baffled by the thought. He thrust a short kick into Batman's ribs but received no reaction. _Well, I guess my job is done. Joker didn't say to kill the kid, just knock him out. They're both out so…_ He heard a small scuffling noise behind him and rolled his eyes; not the kid again! The boy was resilient but how much could one body take? He looked over his shoulder and sighed. There was the boy, attempting to push himself up on one leg again. He was shaking badly and Specter doubted he would make it up this time.

Dick – who in his mind was now Robin – struggled to stand. Using only one leg wasn't going to work and, gritting his teeth, he planted his right leg and stood all the way up. His weight was on both feet and the bones in his right ankle were threatening to pop. He shifted his body onto his left leg a little more and pushed off the wall with his shoulder, his arms dangling uselessly by his sides. Staring defiantly across the room at the man who was standing over his partner, Robin challenged him away from Batman with a flick of his head.

Specter had turned to face Robin and he laughed; a booming, boisterous laugh. "Come on, kid. You're extremely injured and you don't even have a little smidgen of a chance. Give up already!" He shook his head and laughed again.

"I will never give up, even if you break every bone in my body," Robin stated, his voice quietly menacing. "You are on the wrong side. Joker is crazy and will throw you aside as soon as he is done _using_ you."

Specter looked thoughtful and then grinned. "Well, he may be crazy but he's also a lot of fun."

"So you find kidnapping FUN?!" Robin questioned in disbelief. _You're crazy, too!_

"Well, not the 'grabbing you out of the room part'; that was boring. But running around from a guy dressed like a _bat_? That's the fun part," he chuckled. "It's like a game of hide and seek but you get to use an entire city – Joker was even thinking about moving around the country! Would he have followed us if we left?" he wondered thoughtfully.

Robin looked at him incredulously. "Yes. Yes, he would," he snarled.

"Wow, there was no hesitation there. You're a little full of yourself, aren't you, thinking he'll come after one tiny person when he has a whole city to protect? Well, either way I know you've been having at least a small amount of fun," Specter grinned.

"So when my arms were twisted behind me and I was…" Robin paused, not wanting to say it out loud, "… _crying_ , you felt like I was having a grand old time? Are you telling me that whenever I yelled or shouted or whatever noise it was when you tossed me around and hit me and nearly broke my ankle, you took it as laughter? Do you even know what broken bones feel like?" Robin was somehow shouting now. "It feels like the broken part of your body is on fire and there is no relief; no way to escape the pain except surrendering to unconsciousness but then it still hurts so much that you wake right back up and there is _STILL NO RELIEF_!"

"Well, you're pretty good at putting up with pain," Specter chuckled again. "Don't tell me it doesn't give you a bit of a rush. Or maybe you're just used to it. Joker kept telling me that you have often talked about leaving…what's that guy's name? Bruce?" Specter became a little more serious and his voice actually sounded concerned as he said, "Kid, if he's abusing you, it's a good idea to leave."

Robin rolled his eyes at the irony of Specter's last sentence. He was losing the strength in his voice but he continued softly, "Bruce would never hurt me. I was injured before you even took me because of an accident; I fell off a tra, uh, tree." Robin knew if he could just keep the conversation going that eventually Batman would wake up. He just had to command Specter's attention for a while.

"Right…you fell out of a tree. Do you think I'm stupid? Give me some credit; just because I'm big doesn't mean I'm dumb!" Specter exclaimed, growling a little at the end. "This guy," he gestured to Batman, "is out and you're trying to keep me away from him until he's back. I'm done playing now."

Robin grimaced in pain as he shifted his weight back onto both legs, opening them in a defensive stance as the big man started striding towards him. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, willing his muscles to force his broken arms up to protect himself. The pain was immeasurable and his muscles weren't responding. He opened his eyes to see a massive fist approaching his stomach. Deciding to take the hit in order to have a chance at a counterattack, he flexed as the punch connected with his midsection, bending him in half and crushing his spine to the wall. There was no counterattack; he had underestimated the viciousness of the blow. He dropped to his knees, coughing and trying to catch his breath. He heard Specter laugh as he walked away, going back to where Batman lay.

Robin heard a grumble of frustration and knew Batman was no longer there. He glanced up as Batman attacked from the side, using all of his strength to push the bulky man across the room. Specter began to fight back but Robin didn't have the strength to keep watching.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Just like in the last chapter, the name changes are intentional. :) Also, what Robin does at the end of this chapter is pretty unbelievable and probably impossible. I don't know; I've never tried it. I attempted to come up with something more believable that would produce the same result but...I got frustrated because I could only see one image in my head so I just went with it. Sorry if it's stupid; I chose impossible over frustration. :) Also, sorry if the description of the movement is confusing. Description is one of my weak points that I've been working on so thanks for being patient with me. As always, thanks for reading!

 **Chapter 9:**

Batman awoke as Specter strode towards Dick, his arm already pulled back with the hand in a fist. He realized Dick would have to take the blow – Batman didn't have time to get there before it happened – and the best he could do was prepare to attack. He silently rose and moved into the shadows beneath the window as the hit connected with Dick's stomach, making him drop to his knees. _Let him go, he's down._ To Batman's surprise, the man turned away from Dick and made his way to where Batman should have been. The ferocity of the growl startled him but he took off, throwing himself into the side of Specter, forcing him to stumble toward the opposite wall. Batman glanced at Dick and, seeing him conscious, returned his focus to the massive hulk of a man that he had to take down.

Specter had regained his balance and was on the defensive but Batman had been right; he was slow. Batman was a power fighter, not a lightning quick one; Robin was more cut out for this type of fight with Batman as backup. But Robin, although he was here in the form of Dick, was out of commission. Swings, hits, misses, attacks and counterattacks were flung around as Batman and Specter fought their way around the room, almost stepping on Dick several times.

Dick, still thinking of himself as Robin, had recovered slightly and was measuring the size of the room, the speed – more like the _lack_ of speed – of the fight and calculating angles and options. The guy was too big; it was a job for Batman _and_ Robin, not one or the other. He still couldn't move his arms, though, which limited his possibilities. He didn't need his arms, he decided, as he saw the rope that had been used to tie him up lying on the ground a few feet away. He shoved _every_ emotion and feeling to the back of his mind and leaned to his left until he was sitting down with his legs straight out in front of him. He was too short and he mentally sighed. _Of course._ By digging his heels into the ground and alternately bending and straightening his legs he was able to scoot forward marginally and it took longer than he wanted to get close enough to grab the rope with his feet. He used his left leg to bring one end of it up to his waist then bent over and grabbed that end with his teeth before sitting up and leaning back against the wall to catch his breath. Now, however, he was stuck; he had no idea how to proceed with the next part. He looked up at the grunt of pain and realized that Batman was beginning to lose. The guy was just too big. Batman was a strong fighter but Specter had height, weight _and_ power on his side. _Use your brain, Robin!_

Batman was slowing down and starting to receive more hits than he was giving. He didn't think he could last much longer. Maybe he should just grab Dick and run. Speaking of Dick, he took a quick glance to his left and saw his partner with the rope between his teeth and a _very_ Robin-esque glimmer in his eyes. Specter saw Batman glance over at the boy with an expression of surprise so he stopped his kick in mid-air and turned toward the kid.

"What good is a rope when you can't use your arms?" Specter snorted. "Here, let me help you." He walked over to Dick, grabbed the rope, pulled his broken arms together in front of him and tied them tightly.

 _Well, this is a fortunate development_. Robin allowed the pain to rush into his body before shoving it back again as the rope was tightened around his arms. Forcing a fake smile onto his face he said, "Thank you; I couldn't figure out how to do it by myself."

Batman's eyes widened. Dick _wanted_ to be tied up? He had definitely switched to Robin and was planning something; probably something that would increase the risk of further injury. Batman knew how Robin's mind worked so he snarled, "What are you doing over _there_ when I'm waiting for you over _here_? Let's finish this!"

Robin's grin became genuine as he rolled down to his back; Batman knew that he needed a distraction. Specter turned around, back towards Batman, and Robin lifted his hips, wrapped his small but muscular legs around the much thicker one at the knee, and squeezed until he heard a loud 'pop'. Specter let out a yell of pain and swung an open hand back towards Robin but he was flat on the floor and safely out of the way of the smack. The hand was able to scoop him up on its way back to the front of Specter's body, however, and it squeezed Robin's waist a little tighter than the boy thought necessary. He struggled to breathe as he wriggled his entire body in an attempt to turn around in the strong grasp. Specter's grip loosened slightly; giving Robin an opportunity to slip his legs up through the slim gap between the large thumb and his small upper body. He stiffened and – keeping his body as straight as a board – allowed himself to log-roll toward the man's elbow, grunting in pain the whole time. When he reached the crook of the massive arm, he bent his knees, arched his back and let himself fall. Specter, confused, lifted his arm up to see what the kid was doing. Keeping his back arched, Robin used the arm like a high bar, swinging his body around it and allowing his momentum to shoot him up toward the man's face. He lost focus and saw double for a moment as his head and upper back connected with Specter's sharp jawline, snapping the man's head back and causing him to stumble onto his recently dislocated knee. The misstep sent the man into the wall, where he hit his head with a loud 'smack' and fell down, completely knocked out.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Thanks for the review Phone Guy - you always make my day. :)

 **Chapter 10:**

Batman saw the intended conclusion and raced over to catch Robin – _no, Dick_ – as Specter crashed to the ground. He barely made it in time; his partner almost got pinned beneath the giant legs.

"Holy backfire!" Dick cried out as he fell, gasping in relief when he was snatched from the air by Batman. "That almost didn't work out the way I was hoping it would."

"You mean you didn't intend to get flattened like a pancake?" Batman inquired with a quick grin. "Let me have a look at those arms, kiddo," he said softly as he slipped his Bat-knife from his utility belt again.

Specter groaned and both Batman and Dick looked over in disbelief. The huge eyes began to open, although they were unable to focus on anything.

"Oh, come _on_!" Dick unknowingly applied the same tone Joker had used earlier. "Can't he just let us have a little peace?!"

 _Snap._ Batman's left leg flew back, hitting the man in the chin and sending the back of his head into the wall again. "That should help," he stated, grabbing his Bat-communicator from his utility belt. "Batman to Batcave, come…"

He was cut off as Alfred demanded, "Tell me you have him, Master Batman, and he better be alive or you will be in serious trouble, young man!"

Dick started to laugh but it turned into a grunt of distress. The adrenaline was wearing off and the pain began flowing over his body in waves. "You're bleeding," he muttered as Batman began working on the ropes around his arms.

"He's alive, Alfred, and we're about to start for home." Looking to Dick he said, "You're _not_ bleeding and that's a pleasant surprise."

"Thank heavens, Master Batman. Master Dick, you do exactly as he says or _you_ will be in big trouble, young man," Alfred's voice was strict.

"Yes, sir," Dick called out.

At the same time Batman said, "Please use the Batphone and put the receiver next to the Bat-communicator. I have some news for the commissioner."

"Very well, sir," Alfred replied and did as he was asked.

"Batman?" the commissioner's voice sounded tiny as it came through the speaker. "Have you found Dick Grayson? Can you explain anything to me now?"

"Ow," yelped Dick as the ropes fell away from his arms; Batman had to drop the Bat-communicator in order to keep them from hitting the log floor.

"Dick?" the commissioner questioned, "Dick Grayson? Are you okay?"

Picking up the Bat-communicator again, Batman spoke quickly, "No, Commissioner, he is not okay and I need to get him home to Bruce Wayne. We are at the old cabin on the south side of Edge Lake and there are several criminals for you to take care of: Joker, four henchmen and a colossal human being known as Specter. You might want to get here as soon as possible. I don't know how long the ropes will hold the big man." He turned off the Bat-communicator and went to work on Specter's body, tying his arms together, followed by his legs and ending by hooking them all together with one tight Bat-knot. Dick was sitting up now and wiggling his fingers and toes.

"Can you still feel everything?" Batman asked with concern.

"What? Oh, yeah, sure. But, you're still bleeding and you look a little dizzy. Maybe you should sit down for a minute; get your bearings and all that?"

Batman touched his face with one black-gloved hand and was surprised to feel the stickiness of blood when he pulled it away. "No time. Police are on their way and I don't want to be here when he," he tilted his head toward Specter, "wakes up. I've had enough of him for one day."

"I've had enough of him for the rest of my life," Dick muttered as he watched Batman gently probe his own ribs. "So, how's your headache and what's the damage to your ribs?"

"I'm fine; everything's fine," Batman dismissed Dick's question. He took off his cape and fashioned a make-shift sling to support Dick's arms then gently lifted them up and positioned them inside.

"Okay, okay. You're a big, tough man who doesn't ever need any help," Dick said, his jaw clenched tight against the pain. "Except…didn't you get knocked out?" he smirked.

Batman semi-glared at his partner with a slight grin. "Let's go," he commanded and helped Dick to his feet. "Can you walk?"

"Can a Robin swing around on a person's arm?" Dick retorted.

"Apparently _one_ can and," Batman lowered his voice, " _he_ should not have been here."

"If Robin hadn't been here, you and I _both_ might not be here," Dick whispered back.

"I had him, I was just resting!" Batman exclaimed, acting offended.

"Yeah, I know. I was just entertaining him while you took a break," Dick replied. "Funny story," he grunted as he started to walk painfully toward the door, "Joker wanted to know who my favorite kidnapper was and got upset when I called him boring."

"I heard," Batman said stoically, his left arm around Dick's waist to support him. "Please explain to me why on earth you were _taunting_ a villain as crazy as Joker while as a _civilian_. And it better be a good explanation."

"I only had two choices: allow myself to be hit by him or let him throw me to Specter! I would much rather be hit by Joker! Insulting him kind of made him forget about his also-crazy ally and I wanted to keep it that way. I did sound, I guess, a little bit like…" there was a quick pause, "…like Robin," he admitted softly.

"You sounded _exactly_ like him and you need to remember who you are at all times!" Batman was annoyed with his partner. "If Joker had recognized…oh, yes, and you aren't going on any missions that involve Joker; he really has it in for Robin."

"It was the only way to keep myself from being squashed like a bug!" Dick exclaimed. "Wait, he has it in for Robin? Why?"

"Robin, apparently, has stolen my attention away from him," Batman declared, calming down a little.

"Because, of course, all of your attention is always focused completely on him at all times, even when he is in Arkham."

"Of course it is," Batman chuckled. They were outside now. "The Batmobile is all the way on the other side of the lake. Do you want to wait here while I go get it?"

They heard a noise and looked to their right. Joker was awake and working to get free. Batman quietly growled and Dick shouldered him away from the villain.

"Pfft, ats! No go, I still wah pfay," Joker had bitten through a corner of the Bat-tape and was trying to get Batman's attention.

"I have to," Batman whispered to Dick.

"No, you don't," Dick whispered back.

"But look what he did to you!"

"That wasn't Joker; remember my awesome dismount from the trapeze?"

"He made it worse."

"Who cares? The police are coming and you need to get Dick Grayson to Bruce Wayne."

"But he…"

"Who cares?!" Dick shouted out the last phrase.

Batman frowned in frustration, "But he…"

"Batman," Dick was whispering again, "I am going to talk to Alfred when we get home and _he_ …"

" _He_ told you to do what I tell you to do!" Batman knew he had won.

Dick looked down at the dirt, trying to find a way around that. "Fine," he ground out, "but I'm going over there with you."

"Absolutely not. You look like Robin and he hates Robin. Sit down." He waited for Dick to obey and, when he didn't, gave his ward's knee a gentle push that buckled his leg. Batman sat him down carefully and stood up. "Stay. Here."

Dick sat up on his knees and pushed himself to stand up while Batman stalked toward Joker. _As if I'm going to sit here and let you beat him to a pulp._

Batman crouched in front of Joker and ripped the piece of Bat-tape off his mouth.

"Batsy, you made it! I was hoping you would find me well not yet because I wanted you to chase me all over Gotham but you made it anyway did you meet my new friend he's really big and the kid made me realize that I would be scared of him if he wasn't on my side so I'm glad he's with me and… _how are you still alive_?!" Joker's crazy rambling stopped as he screamed the last five words, directing them over the left shoulder of Batman where Dick Grayson had taken up residence.

Batman looked over his shoulder and frowned at his partner, communicating his irritation with his eyes. _You look like Robin_.

Dick returned the glare with one of his own. _I AM Robin._

Batman's eyes narrowed. _Not right now you're not; back off!_

"Stop, Batman, just…stop," Dick spoke calmly as he wiped some sweat off the side of his face with his shoulder.

"Aw, Bats, listen to the poor wittle Dickie-bird. He must be in sooooo much pain and he probably wants to go home to his Brucey…oh wait, I forgot, he's probably scared to go home!"

"You know, you are really annoying," Dick's frustration came out in his voice. _So much for staying calm_. "You kidnap me – oh, wait I forgot that you let your goons do your work – you try to scare me – oh, wait again, that was the big goon – you…I guess you didn't really do anything except insult Bruce Wayne and THAT…"

"DICK!" Batman's voice stopped Dick's building fury. Batman stood up and looked straight into his partner's eyes. "Stop," he commanded and a look of warning flew through his eyes, o _r he WILL figure out that you are Robin._ "Time to go." He tore off a new piece of Bat-tape and planted it firmly over Joker's mouth and then checked the security of the Bat-cuffs. "Enjoy your time in Arkham, Joker."

Sirens rang out in the distance and Batman put his arm around Dick's waist again. "It's a pretty long trek to the Batmobile with a bad ankle. You want a ride?" he asked quietly as they started walking away from Joker.

"Batman, no, that's embarrassing! Joker will think I'm just some wimpy kid!"

"Right now you ARE 'just some wimpy kid'."

"But would Batman allow a random kidnap victim to just hop on his back? And how, exactly, am I supposed to hang on with my arms like _this_?" he said, attempting to lift them.

"You make some good points. I guess we're walking, then." After a few minutes Batman said, "Tell me, what was the plan? Why did you have the rope between your teeth?"

Dick grinned and grimaced at the same time. "I was trying to figure out how to stabilize my arms so they wouldn't be flopping all around when I attacked." He paused then, with a small smirk, said, "It was nice of him to help me like that."

"I doubt he thought he was 'helping' you, kiddo," Batman replied, a tinge of pain lacing his voice.

"Come on, Batman. Sit down for a minute," Dick sighed as he stopped, frustrated with his partner's apparent inability to accept help from Dick Grayson. "I said, sit _down_!" he exclaimed in annoyance. "Alfred will not be happy if I have to be the one driving the Batmobile home because Batman passed out from fatigue due to blood loss or immense pain."

Batman sat on a nearby log. "You are not driving the Batmobile, Dick."

Dick grinned. "You sat down, didn't you? So, you wanted to hear the plan?"

"Yes, please continue," Batman replied tiredly.

"Well, when you yelled at him I knew he was going to turn around so I decided to dislocate his knee and then, um, I didn't really have a plan after that," he admitted sheepishly.

"You didn't have one?!" Batman exploded. "You risked yourself with no plan?!"

"Well, yeah, I just figured something would come to me and then when he picked me up I thought maybe I could work in a kick to the face or something. That's why I was wiggling around; I needed to turn towards him. When he loosened his grip, well, it was easy to get my legs through and then I just went with whatever was happening."

"Get your legs through what?" Batman hadn't been close enough to see that part.

"Oh, well, his thumb moved out a little bit so there was a small gap between it and the rest of my body."

"A little bit…a small gap." Batman was shaking his head as he prepared to stand up.

Dick grinned, "I told you that being small has its advantages!"

THE END

P.S. "Silent Retribution" is next. It is written but still needs polishing so give me a few days to work on it. Also, I'm fresh out of plot ideas so feel free to send some my way, if you feel like it. :) I can't promise anything will come of it so I apologize in advance if you send me something that I don't use. Thanks!


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